Welcome to the Spartan Family continued...

Zach Jager - Assistant Principal

“Being an Assistant Principal has been my dream job since I was a junior in high school, and I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to be an Assistant Principal at LHS. Fun fact about me...when I was in Middle School, I was selected to the Junior Olympics to run long distance.”

Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Fishingboth by boat and ice fishing.”

A life lesson: “Be the change you want to see in the world. A simple cliche statement, but over time, for the most part, it is very true.”

“Your time here matters, whether you think it does or not. There are people here that care about your future. The more you invest in the people here that care about you, the more likely it is that you will be successful in the future.”

One thing that makes the day better: Candy

How would your friends describe you: “Laidback, but extremely quirky. They would also describe me as an outdoorsman.”

Nick Williamsen - School Counselor

(Caseload: Last Names B-D)

“I enjoy a lot of things! Sports, video games, being outside, flowers, and a lot more.” Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Mario Kart with my wife.” How would your friends describe you: Outgoing

“My undergraduate degree is not actually in education. Although, it is in Child Development. But I've always really enjoyed working with kids in different capacities. But I got my Masters in school counseling because I really liked the school setting and the routine of the school day.”

Kelly Neuman - RTR Supervisor

“You do not only have to talk to me when you're in trouble.”

“I have always loved working with kids. I just want to help young adults make a difference in the world.”

A life lesson: “Your comfort zone is your own enemy. Stay out of it. When you're comfortable you're not moving up.” How would your friends describe you: “Outgoing, Fun, Friendly, and Caring.”

Keelin Markou - Science Teacher

“I want for students to know I am truly passionate about science, and I hope to share some of my curiosity with them.”

Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Currently, spending time with my son :) I also like playing games and being outdoors.”

A life lesson: “Only you get to make your choices. You get to pick your friends. You get to control how you react. Etc.”

One thing that makes the day better: Food :)

How would your friends describe you: “The mom friend, honest.” “I'm a huge nerd. I love games, science, and anime. I also love being outdoors, which includes hiking, rock-climbing, gardening, and skiing.”

Kat Kuropas - Math Teacher

“I am a huge nerd! I get genuinely excited about math, science, and technology!”

“I have been married for 11 years and we have 3 girls - Annabelle (7), Skyler (5), and Zoe (1).”

Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Go to musicals/shows with my wife & kids, play with my 3 girls, and play fantasy sports.”

Why education: “Honestly I didn't know what else I wanted to do because I loved being in band so much in high school that I wanted to do something with band and I decided that I wanted to teach it. I had some experiences in high school teaching some of the middle schoolers at the time and I found joy when they learned something new and got excited about that and I wanted to keep doing that for my career.”

A life lesson: “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. So be kind. I like this because everyone deals with sucky situations differently and just because you handle it one way doesn't mean others will handle it the same way. So be kind and remember that everyone has something going on even if it's not as big of a something as what you're going through.”

“I come from a long line of teachers, going all the way back to my great-grandparents who taught in Ukraine. I think I was always interested in teaching since I was able to see first hand what a difference my family made in the lives of others through teaching. I chose math specifically because, well, I enjoy doing math! I view math problems as a puzzle to be solved, and finishing a difficult problem feels just as satisfying as solving a difficult puzzle. I know math gets a bad reputation, but I want to try to change that for students and show them that the challenge can be fun.”

A life lesson: “Your energy and time are limited resources. If you spend all your energy and time on things and people that don't make you feel fulfilled, then you won't have enough left for the things that do. Be selective with where your energy and time go. This has helped me move away from relationships and activities that were very detrimental to me, and I am a much happier person now.”

One thing that makes the day better: “Surprise snacks. Who doesn't love surprise snacks?”

How would your friends describe you: “Loud, nerdy, funny, and they often tell me that they can't take me anywhere.”

“I am here to help you with whatever you need! Whether it's help with math or just needing someone to talk to, I am available. :)”

Kyley Walters-Mikesell - English Teacher

“I want students to know that I am an open and honest person that is always available if students need someone to talk to. I love hearing about student's extracurricular activities and lives outside of school.”

“I went into education because I love helping people and being part of a community.

I have always been passionate about Literature so being an English teacher was an easy choice.”

A life lesson: “I think one of the most important life lessons that I had to learn was to be kind and patient with people, even if it is hard to understand their perspective. It is much easier for us to pass judgment when we don't know someone personally. I know we want to put people in nice, neat boxes in our mind, but life is much more complicated than that and I wish I had realized that sooner.”

One thing that makes the day better: “A kind note from a student always brightens my day!”

“My friends would describe me as relaxed and very forgetful.”

Jedi Master Sisco or Ryan SiscoMath Teacher

“I've coached varsity soccer and tennis.”

“I love to help others. I love that challenge that Math can create.”

A life lesson: “We are all connected. Treat others as you would yourself or your best friend.”

One thing that makes the day better: Music

Favorite Conspiracy Theories:

“My favorite conspiracy theory is that there is a shadow government that actually runs most, if not all, major countries world wide.” - Zach Jager

“I don’t know if I have a favorite conspiracy theory. Anything that involves aliens is always fun, though.” - Terry Chapman

“Birds aren’t real, they are all government drones.” - Kat Kuropas

“Birds Aren’t Real” - Kyley Walters-Mikesell

“When it comes to conspiracy theories I really just enjoy seeing how far people are willing to go to justify a claim that takes 30 seconds on google to debunk.” - Michael Seals

“Mandela Effect” - Ryan Sisco

“Aliens live among humans.” - Nick Williamsen

“Tupac is not dead.” - Kelly Neuman

Jarvion Franklin - Special Education Resource Teacher and Coach

Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Game and work out.”

A life lesson: “Smile, do good, do your best, and have fun!”

One thing that makes the day better: “Singing in the morning! ‘Feeling Good’ Michael Buble.”

How would your friends describe you: “Happy, chill, caring and daring.”

“If you can dream it you can achieve it!”

Sarah Miller - English Teacher

“I'm a fellow Spartan, having graduated...a while ago- when the middle school was the high school. You'll see me out and about at many Spartan events and around town with my two sons. Feel free to say hi!”

Favorite activity to do outside of school: “Travel and participate in activities with my two sons.”

A life lesson: “You can't control other people, but you can control yourself. Work hard and honor yourself and what you are capable of accomplishing.”

One thing that makes the day better: “Warm weather and time with my kids (yes, that's two).”

How would your friends describe you: “Passionate, loyal, devoted, a caring friend, and (as several have worded it to me) an amazing friend with an awesome memory!”

Egg

“If you look at how creatures evolved, the first chicken had to come from an ancestor...but that ancestor most likely laid eggs, just like a chicken. If you backward trace the chicken’s evolution, each creature prior to it most likely laid eggs. So the first chicken MUST have been born from an egg.” - Zach Jager

“This isn’t up for debate!

It’s proven evolutionarily :) Chickens descended from other reptiles. The egg goes as far back as fish, which developed far before reptiles (and thus, fish).”Keelin Markou

“Eggs existed long before chickens did and the chances of an egg evolving to create a chicken are a lot higher than some other animal morphing into a chicken that evolved to a point to start laying eggs.” - Michael Seals

Chicken

“Because chickens are like dinosaurs and dinosaurs came before chickens.” - Kyley Walters-Mikesell

“The chicken had to lay the egg first..... Right?”Terry Chapman

“Eggs need to stay warm, and once eggs hatch the chick needs to be taken care of for 6-8 weeks by the mother. I feel like it doesn’t make sense for an egg to just hang out for a while, then for the chick to survive without a mother, etc.” - Kat Kuropas

“There needed to be an initial chicken to make the first egg.” - Sarah Miller